Women broke into mailboxes, stole personal info, police say

AUSTIN - Two women have been charged after a traffic stop in mid-October led police to identifying information from more than a dozen alleged victims.

Court documents state Geneva Arocha, 47, was stopped Oct. 18 in the 6200 block of Burleson Road for expired registration. Arocha gave the officer a different name and the officer conducted a DWI investigation after smelling alcohol on her breath. The affidavit states the officer saw a plastic baggie on Arocha’s seat when she exited the vehicle, which later tested positive for methamphetamine. Arocha was determined to not be driving under the influence, but police learned her true identity and that she and her passenger, Mary Deleon-Villareal, 46, had outstanding warrants. Both were arrested and booked into the Travis County Jail on Oct. 18, and the vehicle was impounded.

According to the affidavit, police found a crow bar and bolt cutters in the vehicle, along with “several pieces of mail from various persons, a couple of credit cards with the pin numbers, business and personal checks” while conducting an inventory of the vehicle. Police tracked the mail to several apartment complexes, including Ashton Green Condominiums, Douglas Landing Apartments, Burleson Place Apartments and Town Lake at Austin.

The affidavit said the mail centers at three of the complexes showed signed they had been pried open. Police said they were able to match identifying information in Arocha and Deleon’s possession to “at least 17” different people.

Arocha and Deleon have been charged with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, a second-degree felony. Online jail records state Arocha is also facing charges of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, possession of a controlled substance (one gram or more but less than four grams), fail to ID fugitive and driving with license invalid with previous convictions. Deleon is also facing a charge of fail to ID fugitive.

Arocha is being held on combined $116,000 bond and Deleon is being held on combined $53,000 bond.